Harley-Davidson. Same Stance. New Generation.

24 Responses to “Harley-Davidson. Same Stance. New Generation.”


  1. 1 Doc Robinson Jul 23rd, 2011 at 9:33 am

    Some nice insights presented. At the end of the day, Harley-Davidson is THE Motor Company. Everyone else follow in the footsteps of a true GIANT. Do I like everything Harley-Davidson does? No. But 95% of the world wide biker culture has been influenced or shaped by Harley-Davidson without a doubt.

  2. 2 Drake Jul 23rd, 2011 at 9:36 am

    Like this movie. Better financial results. Better bikes. Better commercials…Go HD.

  3. 3 Brother Tiberius Jul 23rd, 2011 at 11:56 am

    That was filmed along Howell Avenue (you see an Avenue Liquor sign) and Layton Avenue (Night Owl Retaurant (freaking awesome cheeseburgers) in Milwaukee. I think they also filmed along the 794 expressway for a portion as well. All within a few miles of my house. Sweet as bro!

  4. 4 Mike Jul 23rd, 2011 at 6:46 pm

    I don’t know, something is not right. Good Luck to em!

    This is the second year that HD dose not build a bike of the likes of the FXSTSI, FXSTDI,FXSTC,FXDWG3, FXLR etc

    Different times I guess

  5. 5 Greg Jul 23rd, 2011 at 9:04 pm

    Love it.

    Best of luck H-D.

  6. 6 bigitch Jul 24th, 2011 at 2:33 am

    so the motor company comes out with a “i’m okay, your okay” feel good movie that makes you think they are thinking of the up and coming next generation when we all know it’s the dollar that is the bottom line.
    lets do this movie in hindu and see if you feel the same

  7. 7 Doc Robinson Jul 24th, 2011 at 6:46 am

    bigitch – the dollar is the bottom line? Wow, what an unusual thing for a business to have, a profitable bottom line. C’mon man, I bet if you have/had a business that is/was your bottom line also. It’s core to the free enterprise system that made America a great world leader.

  8. 8 Boomer Jul 24th, 2011 at 7:40 am

    With the 103 motor I think HD has reached the pinnacle of development for the Twin Cam engine.

    After 2002 they made a bad decision to start putting economy parts (bearings, cheaply made cranks) in the lower end of this premium motorcycle which eventually caused many people to abandon a brand they had been loyal to for decades. As far as I know; that continued to at least 2009. I hope they have since been awakened to that serious error.

    There’s something visceral that just can’t be explained when it comes to a good running big twin HD motor and to a slightly lesser extent; the Sportster motors.

  9. 9 Heavy Metal Jul 24th, 2011 at 8:01 am

    Lead designer riding around in a company promotional film with van’s type shoes? I see a big opportunity for motorclothes to market those for the younger hipper people.

  10. 10 Fred Jul 24th, 2011 at 10:30 am

    Nice Decker sculpture at 0:40. They should let Jeff Decker design a bike for them.

  11. 11 chopperfreak29 Jul 24th, 2011 at 12:14 pm

    Fred: I thik they need Jeff to design everything for them these days. He has an eye for tradition, cool and functionality.

    The Motor company has ALWAYs been about the bottom line. It’s the artists that take their blank canvas and turn it into something desirable/beautiful that has really made HD cool. Harley’s were always a working man’s motorcycle, that most anyone could afford, hence the amount of cutting and modification done to them over the years by shadetree mechanics. If they had always been a so-called premium motorcycle, then it would take a guy like Jeff Decker to have the balls to cut into one. Like his Vincents. The same way that HD discouraged racing for some time, they also discouraged the “outlaw” element that carried the race modifications into the wave of customizing and chopping. It took them years to realize that they could cash in on this by offering a watered down version of the outlaw image to weekend warriors and status seekers. Now, of course, this is almost all of what they do. It’s a corporate entity and their main goal is to make money. Not to make cheap, reliable transportation for every day people like they used to. I’m not slinging mud, just stating facts. For true innovators and artists, money is a byproduct of their art and innovation that can’t be relied upon. When you push boundaries and try to walk your own path, not everyone is going to like what you do. But when you play it safe and stick to a proven formula, you’re more likely be accepted by a wider range of audience. HD has the benefit of literally thousands of individuals and private shops doing the innovating for them. All they have to do is sit back and poach ideas with a fraction of the risk/costs that they would have to endure developing these things on their own. This wasn’t always the case, but those were different times and a family owned company. Now it’s a multi-national, publicly traded corporation, which is a very different thing indeed. It’s no longer the vision of a few individuals guiding the company, but the desires of the shareholders and executives wanting higher returns and bigger bonuses. Short term thinking for short term goals.

  12. 12 chopperfreak29 Jul 24th, 2011 at 12:16 pm

    Have I been banned? None of my posts seem to go through any more!LOL

  13. 13 chopperfreak29 Jul 24th, 2011 at 12:19 pm

    Nope….maybe they’re too long? I dunno, but I just wasted alot of time writing a reasonable, well-thought out reply ( I know, that doesn’t sound right to me either, but it really was!) and it just disappeared when I hit post! I know I’m a douche sometimes but that sucks!LOL

  14. 14 martin Twofeather Jul 24th, 2011 at 5:46 pm

    Well I hope they live forever,great work HD

  15. 15 bigitch Jul 24th, 2011 at 9:12 pm

    doc robinson- yes the dollar is the bottom line , but do you present to the public that you are mom’s apple pie and baseball band at the same time you are sending your work force out of country. yet throughout the little movie they make statements like they are entitled.
    please if you want to sell something don’t patronize the buyer with such cheese ball vignettes.

    but wait i forgot they are from wisconsin…

  16. 16 fuji Jul 24th, 2011 at 9:37 pm

    Gee, how soon we forget or are just naive? LOL. Short memories.

    THE COMPANY! Pushing bikes and new building / showrooms on dealers making it very difficult to keep their heads above water. Several long standing dealers had to fold. Yep , go Harley.

    Loading customers up on extras on over priced bikes. Greed.

    Insurance and finance arm placing buyers in a position where they were upside down for eternity and placing many customers out of the market for many years. Harley Pride.

    Oh yea, remember how the board put all the weight on the financing arm as a scapegoat. Grandiose posture, for their lack of guidance.

    Yes, this is the company that I admire.

    Now they are grooming the new generation and pouncing like a bunch of mosquitos looking for fresh blood, the old generation is weak and Harley poor.

    Fresh new ideas from younger designers. More like reinventing what old timers like me did back when money was short and fancy bolt on’s were nil.

    Are these fresh ideas or just a bunch of copiers drawing a paycheck trying to emulate old people/ previous ideas.

    If you want to invent, try something from your own generation and not mine. Ingenuity? Not Willy G’s.

    We know who pulls the string. So all you have hobbies, wonderful! I’m all choked up, tears and all.

    Why is it that old people/bikers get in youths way but the “Young Harley” generation want to embrace our ideas, as if its something new? Creative reenactment. Fan-tastic..,

  17. 17 fuji Jul 24th, 2011 at 9:57 pm

    chopperfreak29 and bigitch . very well stated. Reality !

  18. 18 tim Jul 25th, 2011 at 8:30 am

    well that’s 4:08 of my life I will never get back. Not very informative, drug on and on and on and on. I just expected better from “THE motor company”

  19. 19 GRIP ACE - HIDDEN MOTORCYCLE SWITCH SYSTEM Jul 25th, 2011 at 10:12 am

    HD knows that if they don’t change with the times, somebody else will. The approach they are taking is just the beginning.

  20. 20 mad andy Jul 25th, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    I just bought a new forty-eight tshirt! Pat yourself on the back HD marketing department you guys really know bikers well……..now get in your european luxury cars and drive home.

  21. 21 Brother T Jul 25th, 2011 at 4:04 pm

    I’m not really sure why it’s OK for Polaris to make a profit (and get an article in their corresponding stock surge, and to have a poster comment that he likes the fact that the stock is doing well), but it’s not OK for the MOCO to do the same. Corporations are there to make money; that’s the absolute bottom line.

    I’m glad motorcycling wasn’t what it was 30 years ago just like I’m glad I don’t have to look like a biker from 30 years ago that’s still struggling to squeeze into his leather vest today. I don’t break bad on those that can build. I just can’t. I’d rather have my options.

  22. 22 Brett Jul 26th, 2011 at 11:04 am

    Please will someone ever prove this over priced bike thing to me?? Every single HD model is right in line with any Honda, Yamaha, Victory, or Triumph of the same size. I suppose you can go buy a hard tail Sucker Punch Sally or one of those & pay the same amount for what is basically a Sportster with no shocks as you do a HD Bagger…so where is the over price??

    As far as HD comparing it self to baseball & apple pie but sending the work force out of the country isn’t that was GM, Ford & Chrysler do as well? Imported from Detroit…remember, but is it really?

    Like Baseball is even American any more. South American maybe.

    Reality is, until our clueless government lowers the taxes on the cash made in America by companies, they will continue to use outsourced labor.

    HD is playing by the rules our country placed on them. Polaris & the rest do the same.

  23. 23 Taco Jul 26th, 2011 at 11:35 am

    lame

  24. 24 Jack Jul 28th, 2011 at 4:26 pm

    “Diversification, I guess, is ahh…part of the magic because Harley Davidsons appeal to a wide range of age groups…” – Willie G. Davidson

    To the “bottom line commenters” above & to Willie…

    How many bikes were sold to someone between the ages of 20 – 30 years old? 30-40 years old?

Comments are currently closed.
Cyril Huze